It’s a fishing day

White River (Bull Shoals tailwater) fishing conditions · Arkansas

Sit it outno rainbow trout window clears the bar in 36 hours

Water is 63°, inside their 45–68° range.

Frost Advisory until Sunday 9 am
Log a trip here
Right now: 53 for rainbow trout, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Rainbow trout, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 533 pm
  2. 53
  3. 53
  4. 536 pm
  5. 39
  6. 39
  7. 399 pm
  8. 39
  9. 39
  10. 39Sun
  11. 39
  12. 39
  13. 393 am
  14. 39
  15. 39
  16. 396 am
  17. 39
  18. 39
  19. 399 am
  20. 39
  21. 39
  22. 3912 pm
  23. 39
  24. 39
  25. 393 pm
  26. 39
  27. 39
  28. 396 pm
  29. 39
  30. 39
  31. 399 pm
  32. 39
  33. 39
  34. 39Mon
  35. 39
  36. 39
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
63°F

Rainbow trout range 45–68°

Wind
0 mph

From the

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:08 pm

Sky
Partly Sunny

No rain expected

Air
60°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Arkansas regulations for these waters.

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

53Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

63°
35°45–68° · ideal 55°78°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Inside rainbow trout's active range. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

14" maximum · 2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas (since Feb 1, 2026): on the Norfork tailwater and the White River from Bull Shoals Dam to the Norfork Access, 2 rainbow trout a day, both under 14"; every other trout must be released. From the Norfork Access to the Hwy 58 bridge at Guion, 2 trout with only 1 over 14". Elsewhere the statewide limit is 5 trout a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Arkansas

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Dec (no water record for Jan–Apr), from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on rainbow trout

Brown Trout

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

53Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

63°
35°45–68° · ideal 55°78°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Inside brown trout's active range. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Arkansas: on the Norfork tailwater and the White River from Bull Shoals Dam to the Norfork Access only rainbows under 14" may be kept, so every brown trout must be released. Below the Norfork Access a brown must be at least 24" and counts as the one fish over 14" in the 2-trout limit.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Arkansas

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Dec (no water record for Jan–Apr), from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on brown trout

The water

  • Water temperature63°F
  • Barometer30.21 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:08 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:40 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 3:40 pm–4:40 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 10:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 5:50 am–6:50 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Arkansas Game & Fish has the state’s fishing pages.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

The cold tailwater below Bull Shoals Dam in the Arkansas Ozarks — one of the great trophy trout rivers in America, holding state-record-class brown trout and dense rainbow populations in its long, generation-driven flows. Drift-boated and waded from Bull Shoals down through Cotter and Calico Rock.

AR: from Bull Shoals Dam to the Norfork Access, 2 rainbow trout a day, both under 14"; every other trout must be released. Below the Norfork Access to the Hwy 58 bridge at Guion, 2 trout with only 1 over 14". The first stretch below the dam is catch and release Feb 1–Oct 31 and closed Nov 1–Jan 31. Flows swing fast with dam generation — watch the horn.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Bull Shoals Lake9 mi · ArkansasBest now until 7 pmFrost Advisory
59Marginal
Norfork River16 mi · ArkansasBest now until 7 pmFrost Advisory
65Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at White River (Bull Shoals tailwater)?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at White River (Bull Shoals tailwater) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at White River (Bull Shoals tailwater)?

White River (Bull Shoals tailwater) is listed on this site for 2 commonly-targeted species: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at White River (Bull Shoals tailwater)?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at White River (Bull Shoals tailwater) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does White River (Bull Shoals tailwater) have?

White River (Bull Shoals tailwater) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. AR: from Bull Shoals Dam to the Norfork Access, 2 rainbow trout a day, both under 14"; every other trout must be released. Below the Norfork Access to the Hwy 58 bridge at Guion, 2 trout with only 1 over 14". The first stretch below the dam is catch and release Feb 1–Oct 31 and closed Nov 1–Jan 31. Flows swing fast with dam generation — watch the horn.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at White River (Bull Shoals tailwater)?

state agency regulations apply at White River (Bull Shoals tailwater). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is White River (Bull Shoals tailwater) tidal water?

No. White River (Bull Shoals tailwater) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.